Practicing Scientific Inquiry through Jigsaw Puzzles Tara Mohanan - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Practicing Scientific Inquiry through Jigsaw Puzzles Tara Mohanan

Puzzles as Games Math puzzles • Logic puzzles • Number puzzles • Word puzzles • Object puzzles • Shape puzzles • Jigsaw puzzles

Puzzles as Part of Inquiry Jigsaw Puzzle (JP): the task putting together the pieces of the puzzle such that the finished picture is a projection of the picture on the cover of the puzzle box.

Jigsaw Puzzles Questions to ask yourself: 1. What can you tell about the pieces and the picture even before opening the box? 2. When you open the box and start the puzzle, what strategies do you use to put the pieces together?

What is Science? • a school subject • information about things around us, living and non ‐ living • something we do in a lab • a way of looking at the world: an attempt to understand the world and how it works

What is scientific inquiry? 1. making systematic observations of phenomena in the world 2. arriving at observational generalizations based on 1 3. creating concepts, definitions , and laws (theories) to explain 2 and as part of this, categorizing ; and • Inferring , reasoning . •

Jigsaw Puzzles: Strategies Strategies I use : ( you have to figure out your own ) Separate the edge pieces, especially the 4 corner pieces: they are easily identifiable without looking at match with other pieces, and easier to put together. Work the edge of the puzzle to the extent possible. This gives the working space a frame, and gives me an idea of the overall size of the puzzle.

Jigsaw Puzzles: Strategies Parameters/Traits to pay attention to : a. Colours, Textures, Depths ... of the image b. Edges and Boundaries in the image (line; shape; colour...) c. Objects / Designs (animals/buildings/people...)

Jigsaw Puzzles: Strategies Parameters/Traits to pay attention to : d. SHAPE/SIZE: of LOCK, KEY, SHOULDER e. Very minute DETAILS OF DESIGN and TEXTURE (details that you see only of you stare at the picture long enough)

Jigsaw Puzzles: Strategies Relevance of JPs for scientific inquiry : As in solving a jigsaw puzzle, scientific inquiry requires careful observation, paying attention to details; categorizing; finding relevant traits; seeing the fit between pieces; seeing the relation between the part and the whole.

Metaphors to Understand Reality Einstein : "In our endeavor to understand reality, we are somewhat like a man trying to understand the mechanism of a closed watch." Richard Feynman: Doing science is like watching gods playing chess , and trying to figure out the rules. Einstein uses another metaphor: A scientist is like a detective trying to " solve the mystery of the universe." We here are using the metaphor of science as a jigsaw puzzle, without a picture, without even most of the pieces, and without knowing if there even is a final solution.

Metaphors to Understand Reality • JP at the local ‘game’ level: putting pieces together such that the finished picture looks like the picture on the box. • JP at the broader level: using it as a metaphor for scientific inquiry (SI), (i) to figure out the parallels between JP and SI, in their abilities and mental qualities, and (ii) to practice the strategies of SI attentively and with awareness.

Jigsaw Puzzles Sometimes science happens by accident. Similarly, sometimes you find a fit in a jigsaw puzzle by accident. But in both cases, you have to prepare the ground for it to happen, and let it happen.

Thank you!!!

Puzzles as Games • Math puzzles Practicing Scientific Inquiry • Logic puzzles through Jigsaw Puzzles • Number puzzles • Word puzzles • Object puzzles Tara Mohanan • Shape puzzles Jigsaw puzzles Puzzles as Part of Inquiry Jigsaw Puzzles Questions to ask yourself: Jigsaw Puzzle (JP): the task putting together the pieces of the puzzle 1. What can you tell about the pieces and the picture even before opening such that the box? the finished picture is a projection of the picture on the cover of the puzzle box. 2. When you open the box and start the puzzle, what strategies do you use to put the pieces together?

What is Science? What is scientific inquiry? • a school subject 1. making systematic observations of phenomena in the world • information about things around us, 2. arriving at observational generalizations based on 1 living and non-living 3. creating concepts, definitions , and laws (theories) to • something we do in a lab explain 2 and as part of this, • a way of looking at the world: an attempt to understand the world and • categorizing ; and how it works • Inferring , reasoning . Jigsaw Puzzles: Strategies Jigsaw Puzzles: Strategies Strategies I use : ( you have to figure out your own ) Parameters/Traits to pay attention to : Separate the edge pieces, especially the 4 a. Colours, Textures, Depths ... of the image corner pieces: they are easily identifiable without looking at match with other pieces, b. Edges and Boundaries in the image and easier to put together. (line; shape; colour...) Work the edge of the puzzle to the extent c. Objects / Designs possible. This gives the working space a (animals/buildings/people...) frame, and gives me an idea of the overall size of the puzzle.

Jigsaw Puzzles: Strategies Jigsaw Puzzles: Strategies Relevance of JPs for scientific inquiry : Parameters/Traits to pay attention to : As in solving a jigsaw puzzle, d. SHAPE/SIZE: of LOCK, KEY, SHOULDER scientific inquiry requires careful observation, paying attention to details; categorizing; finding relevant traits; e. Very minute DETAILS OF DESIGN and seeing the fit between pieces; TEXTURE (details that you see only of you seeing the relation between the part and the whole. stare at the picture long enough) Metaphors to Understand Reality Einstein : "In our endeavor to understand reality, we are somewhat like a man trying to understand the mechanism of a closed watch." Richard Feynman: Doing science is like watching gods playing chess , and trying to figure out the rules. Einstein uses another metaphor: A scientist is like a detective trying to " solve the mystery of the universe." We here are using the metaphor of science as a jigsaw puzzle, without a picture, without even most of the pieces, and without knowing if there even is a final solution.

Jigsaw Puzzles Metaphors to Understand Reality • JP at the local ‘game’ level: putting pieces Sometimes science happens by together such that the finished picture looks like accident. the picture on the box. Similarly, sometimes you find a fit in • JP at the broader level: using it as a metaphor for a jigsaw puzzle by accident. scientific inquiry (SI), (i) to figure out the parallels between JP and SI, But in both cases, you have to in their abilities and mental qualities, and prepare the ground for it to (ii) to practice the strategies of SI attentively and happen, and let it happen. with awareness.